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Vajrasattva Retreat - Winter 2011
Venerable Thubten Chodron
Sravasti Abbey, Washington USA
18 December 2011 - 12 March 2012
Introduction to the Retreat
19 December 2011
Venerable Thubten Chodron
In this talk Venerable Chodron gives an introduction to those starting the retreat. She talks about setting favorable conditions for a beneficial retreat and activities between sessions. Ven. Chodron talks about how to relate to yourself and the things that may arise during the retreat. She explains how to do the practice in a retreat setting and how to count mantra during sessions. Ven. Chodron also answers questions from those doing the retreat.
• [90 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf file
Retreat Motivation
20 December 2011
Venerable Thubten Chodron
Ven. Chodron talks about setting the motivaton for doing retreat. She talks about using the retreat to stop the causes of our own suffering and creating the causes to benefit others. By looking at our unsatisfactory situation and it's causes, she explains, we will be motivated to practice not only for ourselves but to benefit others.
• [23 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Being a Friend to Yourself
21 December 2011
Venerable Semkye
Ven. Semkye talks about what it means to be a friend to yourself and how it is connected to developing bodhicitta. She explains how becoming a friend to yourself can lead to cherishing others.
• [9 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Motivation with a Vast Perspective
23 December 2011
Venerable Jigme
Ven. Jigme talks about setting a motivation with a vast perspective for practice sessions.
• [6 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Confidence in Purification
26 December 2011
Venerable Jigme
Ven. Jigme explains the importance of purification practice and how we can have confidence that purification practices work.
• [8 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Visualization
28 December 2011
Venerable Jigme
Ven. Jigme explains the purpose and method of visualization in Tibetan Buddhist meditation and specifically in the Vajrasattva practice.
• [13 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
The 100-Syllable Mantra
30 December 2011
Zopa
Everyone at the Abbey recites the Vajrasattva Mantra and then Zopa gives an explanation of the meaning of the mantra and how it is used.
• [12 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Taking Refuge from the Heart
2 January 2012
Venerable Samten
Ven. Samten explains how to prevent practice from becoming a rote repetition of the sadhana by taking refuge from the heart.
• [6 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Bodhicitta
4 January 2012
Venerable Samten
Reading some inspiring words from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Ven. Samten encourages us to have the thought of bodhicitta with each mantra we recite.
• [10 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
The Four Opponent Powers of Purification - An Overview
5 January 2012
Venerable Tarpa
Ven. Tarpa gives an overview of the four opponent powers and the benefits of doing purification practices. She then explains the first of the four, regret.
• [13 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
The Four Opponent Powers of Purification - An Overview - Part 2
9 January 2012
Venerable Tarpa
Ven. Tarpa continues the explanation of the four opponent powers used in purification practice. She goes over the powers of reliance, determination, and remedial action.
• [6 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
The Power of Reliance, Taking Refuge
11 January 2012
Venerable Semkye
Ven. Semkye talks about the power of reliance, one of the four opponent powers of purification, in the Vajrasattva sadhana. In this talk she explains how we restore our relationship to Three Jewels by taking refuge.
• [11 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
The Power of Reliance, Bodhicitta
13 January 2012
Venerable Semkye
Ven. Semkye continues discussing the power of reliance by explaining that because most of our destructive actions are done in relation to other sentient beings, we restore the relationship through bodhicitta, the altruistic intention to attain awakening to benefit all beings.
• [9 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
The Power of Regret (part 1)
16 January 2012
Venerable Chonyi
Ven. Chonyi explains the power of regret in purification practice using teachings by Pabongka Rinpoche. She explains how genuine regret is not feeling guilty or ashamed.
• [11 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
The Power of Regret (part 2)
18 January 2012
Venerable Chonyi
Ven. Chonyi continues to teach about regret, and how we need to have mindfulness and introspective awareness of what's going on in our minds to generate regret.
• [8 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
The Power of Regret (part 3)
18 January 2012
Venerable Chonyi
Finishing the explanation of regret, Ven. Chonyi reminds us that all negative actions arise from conditions and there is no reward or punishment in what happens to us. We just create causes and experience their effects.
• [9 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
The Power of Remedial Action (part 1)
23 January 2012
Venerable Jigme
Moving on to the next opponent power, Ven. Jigme explains the power of remedial action and gives more general advice on how to use the four opponent powers, sharing how the great master Atisha used them.
• [9 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
The Power of Remedial Action (part 2)
25 January 2012
Venerable Jigme
Ven. Jigme explains six types of remedial action that are used in purification practice.
• [10 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Using the Four Opponent Powers in Daily Life
27 January 2012
Venerable Jigme
Ven. Jigme explains how we can use the four opponent powers to purify negative actions during daily activities.
• [10 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Purification of the Non-Virtues of the Body (part 1)
30 January 2012
Venerable Samten
Using personal anecdotes, Ven. Samten explains the first two non-virtues of the body, killing and stealing.
• [19 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Purification of the Non-Virtues of the Body (part 2)
1 February 2012
Venerable Samten
Completing the explanation of the non-virtues of the body, Ven. Samten talks about sexual misconduct and the results of these actions.
• [11 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Purification of the Non-Virtues of Speech (part 1)
3 February 2012
Zopa
Looking at how her upbringing affected her attitudes regarding speech, Zopa explains the first two non-virtues of speech (lying and divisive speech).
• [14 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Purification of the Non-Virtues of Speech (part 2)
6 February 2012
Zopa
Zopa continues talking about the harmful types of speech, explaining harsh speech and idle chatter or gossip.
• [15 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Purification of the Non-Virtues of the Mind (part 1)
8 February 2012
Venerable Tarpa
To introduce the non-virtues of the mind, Ven. Tarpa gives a brief overview of them and talks about how thinking about karma and the ten destructive and ten constructive actions can clarify a lot of confusion.
• [15 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Purification of the Non-Virtues of the Mind (part 2)
10 February 2012
Venerable Tarpa
Ven. Tarpa talks about the non-virtue of coveting. She explains how it is not just coveting an object or possession but can also be coveting a quality or talent of another.
• [7 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Purification of the Non-Virtues of the Mind (part 3)
13 February 2012
Venerable Tarpa
Continuing with the mental non-virtues, Ven. Tarpa explains maliciousness.
• [9 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Purification of the Non-Virtues of the Mind (part 4)
15 February 2012
Venerable Tarpa
Ven. Tarpa explains the third and last non-virtue of the mind, holding wrong views. She also talks about the simultaneous purification visualization from the sadhana.
• [9 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Power of Determination (part 1)
17 February 2012
Venerable Semkye
Ven. Semkye begins explaining the power of determination and shares her insights on how ignorance and delusion lead to harm and why refuge comes again at the end of the Vajrasattva practice.
• [9 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Power of Determination (part 2)
20 February 2012
Venerable Semkye
Ven. Semkye continues to explain the power of determination or resolve, emphasizing how much it depends on the power of regret and recognizing the suffering results that come from our destructive actions.
• [9 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Power of Determination (part 3)
22 February 2012
Venerable Semkye
Ven. Semkye explains how to view Vajrsattva as a projection of our own Buddha potential, the Buddha that we will become, not as an external being that we are petitioning.
• [8 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Dedication and Rejoicing
24 February 2012
Venerable Chonyi
Ven. Chonyi reminds us to rejoice in the merit we've created from our practice before we dedicate it.
• [9 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
More on Dedication of Merit
27 February 2012
Venerable Chonyi
Completing the teaching on dedication, Ven. Chonyi talks about why we dedicate virtue and how to do it.
• [11 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Purifying in Relation to the Three Jewels & Teachers
29 February 2012
Zopa
Zopa teaches about purifying harmful actions in relation to specific objects and explains why these are especially powerful and the types of actions we can easily do to them.
• [13 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Purifying in Relation to Teachers and Parents
2 March 2012
Zopa
Zopa finishes explaining the way to purify in relation to our teachers as a way to be kind to them and maintaining a good relationship. Then, she speaks about recalling the kindness of our parents and purifying in relation to them.
• [12 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
Keep On Going!
5 March 2012
Zopa
Zopa encourages us to keep doing the Vajrasattva practice even though we may be finishing the retreat.
• [7 min] Download mp3
• Transcription : Download pdf
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All audio files in this series are in the high-quality format of 40kbps.